Winter is Coming: Indoor Activities to Keep You Warm

The weather outside is frightful– luckily, there are plenty of places to explore indoors in KC.

Baby, it’s cold outside, and because it’s a Midwestern winter, it always feels like there’s no end in sight. Don’t fret—spring will come someday (even if someday is April)! But in the meantime, before you go stir crazy in your house, let’s get you outside—but not like, too outside, where your nose will freeze off, but out-of-your-house outside, which is still inside, where it’s warm.

Go see a show!

The movies are an obvious choice when it’s cold out—wear a bulky sweater and no one will judge that large popcorn you’ve already had a refill on. We’re partial to theaters like the Screenland Armour Theater in North Kansas City, and have also been impressed by the new B&B Theatres up north in Liberty. But shows don’t have to be limited to movies! There are plenty of off-broadway hits that come through Kansas City in the winter at the Kansas City Music Hall, and the Kauffmann Center for the Performing Arts always has something going on in their beautiful architectural space.

Rejuvenate among the greenery

Halfway into a Kansas City December, it can feel like you haven’t seen a plant in years. But never fear—you can escape into the jungle at Family Tree Nursery. They have multiple locations in Liberty, Shawnee and Overland Park, but we’re especially partial to the Shawnee location. Their nursery has teamed up with Thou Mayest to create Café Equinox, which is a coffee shop inside the greenhouse! Grab a warm cup of chai and bask among the lounge furniture in their greenhouse. It’s kid-friendly, too (the greenhouse, not the espresso).

Learn something new

With the sun setting so early, it can be easy to get home from work and go right into Netflix and chill mode with a bowl of chili (and honestly that sounds like an amazing night). But sometimes it’s nice to use all that indoor time to better yourself and expand your skill sets. There are lots of classes offered all over Kansas City that you can take in the winter months. We love the pottery classes offered by Driftwood Ceramics in North Kansas City. Winter is good for filling up your belly too, and Noah’s Cupboard up in Weston hosts some wonderful cooking classes. There’s always classes offered at the local community colleges, too, or your local library—the Midwest Genealogy Center in Independence has a lot of great classes to help you look into your personal history.

Play inside!

For kids: When the kids get stir crazy, we’re not sure who it’s worse for—them or the parents. Either way, get them out of the house! On the free side, Crown Center always has a free rotating exhibit for kids, and Kaleidoscope is a must for your creative kiddos. The indoor playground, The Grove at Zona Rosa, is a staple up north as an easy way to get the wiggles out, or the Wonderscope Children’s Museum in Shawnee can easily entertain your little ones for an entire day. Of course, there’s always the SEA LIFE Aquarium at Crown Center and Legoland, too!

For adults: Who says the kids should have all the fun? There are plenty of fun things for adults to do, too, whether it’s axe throwing at Blade & Timber in the West Bottoms, or teeing off at Topgolf in Overland Park (it’s heated!). We’ll also just pretend the new J. Rieger & Co. Distillery is an indoor playground for adults, too, since it has that big slide that’s essential after a locally-made whiskey—which will definitely warm you up! Spend your whole day there by taking a tour and then ending in the tasting room or bar. If you want to go ultra adventurous, you could even try indoor skydiving at iFly in Overland Park.

Get nerdy

If you can’t exercise your mind outside, at least your brain can get a workout. Pawn & Pint is a blast for groups big or small, and is kid-friendly, too! They have a full restaurant and bar menu, and the giant space houses a library of board games that your entrance fee will give you access to for the rest of the night. Play classics like Guess Who? or Monopoly, or discover a new family favorite, like Machi Koro or Carcassonne. If you’d rather compete against strangers instead of your friends, pub trivia nights can be found almost every night of the week around the city. Westport Flea Market’s trivia night is ultra competitive and some of the best bar trivia in town, and Brookside’s Flying Horse Taproom has a new trivia night that competes with its amazing flatbreads—both are played for cash! Lastly, work as a team at one of Kansas City’s escape rooms, like Breakout in the River Market or Escape Room KC at Union Station.

Take a tour

Kansas City is home to so many amazing makers, and lots of them want you to come see just how their awesome products are made. Three essential tours to top your list: Boulevard Brewery, J. Rieger & Co., and The Roasterie. Though these beverages are all served at different temperatures, they’ll all keep you warm inside in different ways—and oftentimes, tours come with free samples!

Enjoy a museum

Naming all the amazing museums Kansas City has to offer is a near-impossible task, but what that means is there’s probably at least one you haven’t been to. If you’re a museum newbie, start with classics like the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art (free entry!), the National World War I Museum & Memorial, or the American Jazz Museum. While you’re at the jazz museum, pop on over to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum next door, too! For the casual museum-goer, you may want to take it to the next level by visiting the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art (it's a neighbor to the Nelson!) or visit the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library & Museum. Want something a little different? The Nerman Museum is a contemporary art museum in Overland Park located inside Johnson County Community College that may have something new for seasoned Nelson visitors. If you’ve been down to the Plaza, you’ve probably seen signs for the National Museum of Toys & Miniatures—take the time to finally visit! Or for something really strange, there’s the Victorian-inspired Leila’s Hair Museum in Independence. Taking kids along and don’t want to worry about breaking some ancient Chinese pottery? Try Kidscape, an interactive history museum in Overland Park.